Once Upon a Time
by kaylaXkittyears
Summary: A DN version of Beauty and the Beast, This is sort of a giftfic for a friend.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys I'm back… again. I've kind of been on a writing break for a while now and I hadn't planned on posting anything, but then I joined drama at my school and we did beauty and the beast and this just kind of jumped up and hit me in the face. Please keep in mind all the things I have up right now are just… experiments I guess, so I may or may not finish them. However, I have been promised a cake if I get this one done, so fingers crossed.

this is just an intro, the actual first chapter is typed and will be up asap.

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Once upon a time in a land far far away, a pretty, young prince lived in a beautiful castle. The prince had everything a boy could want, but his mother was ill and his father had died at war. The boy was spoiled and quick to anger, his people dreaded the day he would take the thrown.

One night an elder woman knocked on the castle doors. She spoke with the prince and asked for a place to stay for the night, but he turned her away. Again she asked and offered him her service in return, but again he turned her out.

Suddenly, the haggard old woman disappeared in a flash of light and a tall beautiful woman stood in her place. She was a witch, in fact she was the high witch of that region. She had been sent by the people to get rid of the prince. The prince realized his mistake and begged her forgiveness. The witch, seeing he was just a boy, alone and scared and not ready for the position he was in, took pity on him. Instead of killing him she laid a spell on the castle.

The inhabitants of the castle all became clocks and forks and ovens and various other objects. Half of the boys face became twisted with scars. She told him everyone would remain objects and the scars would spread over his body until he learned to selflessly love another and they loved him in return.

The witch left and the prince became bitter. Who could ever love a monster?


	2. Chapter 2

(I forgot the disclaimer thingy, so here it is. I dont own deathnote or beauty and the beast)

Years past and the kingdom was ruled by a seemingly faceless leader. The people never saw the king and indeed they weren't even sure if they had one. Royal notices with instructions came out every few months and alliances were kept through loyalty and letters. The kingdom didn't have much to do with the rest of the world, basically following a live and let live policy. Trade went well and food was in good supply; it was in fact the best time the kingdom had had in decades. All fears of the young prince had nearly been forgotten.

Our story starts in a small, happy village. The Jeevas family was new there. The oldest, Martin, was an inventor. His first son, Marcus, was a hunter and generally well lied. Maria was his daughter; she was very sick and stayed inside. His youngest was Matt, who seemed to be following in his father's footsteps. He loved learning and figuring things out, but he liked learning about animals more than he liked hunting them witch made him a bit… odd.

Every morning Matt got up early and walked into town to buy the days bread, and every morning he ignored the looks of distaste the other villages gave him. On this morning he was walking to the bakery as usual when a voluptuous young woman grabbed his arm. Inwardly, Matt groaned.

"Hey Mattie." The girl simpered.

"Hello Gertrude."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Gerty?" Gertrude pouted, clinging tightly to him.

"At least once more." He answered in a pained voice, trying to free himself from her grip.

"Oh, you!" she giggled, flipping her white blonde hair over her shoulder, "so what you doing?" she leaned into him as they walked.

"I'm getting bread. I _always_ get bread."

"Of course!" she giggled again, at what Matt wasn't sure.

For the millionth time Matt cursed his luck. Usually girls like Gertrude were all over his brother, but for some strange reason matt couldn't begin to fathom, she had taken a liking to him. Gertrude was the daughter of a well off fish seller, and one of the prettiest girls in the village by most people's standards.

When they walked into the old bakery, the equally old baker looked up. His eyebrows were so bushy they nearly concealed his small grey eyes. He patted his fat belly with a fat hand and smiled at Gertrude.

"Good morning Matt, Miss Gerty." He nodded to them each in turn.

"Two loaves today, Mr. Pestle." Matt said with a sigh of relief, as Gertrude had detached herself to look at the little cakes in the window.

"Right then." Mr. Pestle said. He lumbered over to the backroom, leaving Gertrude and Matt alone.

"So Mattie." Gertrude said, suddenly predatory, "valentine's day is coming up."

"Is it?" he asked uncomfortably.

"Yes. Do you know what you're getting me?"

"Nothing?" he answered dully.

"Ha, there you go again, you're so funny. I want a ring." She said seriously, "a nice, big ring, and a proposal."

"What-" Matt began indignantly, but Mr. Pestle came back in with the bread. He raised an eyebrow at the scene in front of him and wrapped the loaves up in a bundle.

"There you are." he said, handing the bundle to Matt.

"Thanks, Mr. P." Matt said, paying him quickly and turning to leave.

Gertrude tried to get hold of him again, but he dodged her and ran out the door. She huffed then turned to the baker.

"He's just excited" she said and left with a short curtsy, going back to the gaggle of her friends who'd followed her to the bakery.

Meanwhile, Matt was breathing heavily with the bundle clutched to his chest. He was hiding behind the large stone well near the center of the village. As his breath calmed he closed his eyes. Gertrude wanted him to propose! He didn't even like the girl!

He was so caught up in his distress he didn't hear the heavy footsteps on the dirt road. It wasn't until his shoulder was tapped that he realized someone else was there. He opened his eyes and saw a tan shirt. He looked up and saw his brother grinning down at him.

"What's up Matt?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the well.

"Gertrude." He answered pointedly.

"Again?" Marcus asked

"She expects me to propose on Valentine's Day." Matt sulked; glaring at a rock on the ground like it had personally offended him

"She's only known you for two months…"

"Try telling her that." Matt groused.

Marcus gave him a sympathetic look and patted his head, a habit from childhood they'd yet to break.

"It'll all work out, Matt, you'll see."

Matt shrugged, "yeah, sure. I have to get this back home." He said, shifting the bundle in his arms.

Marcus nodded, "I'm going hunting with the guys, I'll be back by dinner. See ya, Matt." And with a last slap on the shoulder, he started off.

Matt walked the rest of the way home alone. The house was small and out of the way, almost at the end of the road and far from the nearest neighbor. When he opened the door he was greeted by the tell-tale clanking and scratching that meant his father was working.

He left the bread on the worn wooden kitchen table and went to his father's workshop. Martin had been tinkering with "steam technology" as he called it since before Matt could remember. He was close to having the perfect model for his presentation, but he'd missed the fair three years in a row because it just wasn't ready yet.

When Matt found him he was half hidden under a large mass of metal.

"Dad?" Matt asked over the clanking.

"Matt? Oh- ow!" Martin tried to sit up and hit his head on his invention. He slid out from under it and tried again. "Did you get the bread?"

"Yes, dad." Matt smiled, no matter how many times he saw it, his dad in those old round goggles with the thick leather strap never failed to make his day brighter. "Almost done?"

"Want to see?" Martin asked excitedly. Matt nodded and watched as his dad flipped a small switch and pulled a lever on the inventions side. Gears began turning and steam began hissing and soon the machine was plugging along merrily.

"It works." Martin said in shock, "it works!"

"Oh my god…" Matt's eyes were wide, "I have to go tell Maria!"

He stumbled out of the room, tripping over tools and nearly knocking himself out on the doorframe in his haste. He practically flew up the stairs and burst into his sister's room. She sat up quickly, her red hair a mess.

"It's working! Dad can go the fair this year!"

Maria let out a shout and Matt hugged her.

"Maybe he'll win and we'll finally be able to afford-"

"Don't matt." Maria said warningly, "I don't want anyone getting their hopes up."

He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. Maria started to say something but she was interrupted by a fit of rough coughs. Matt rubbed her back and waited for them to subside.

"Why don't you go start lunch, huh Matt?" she said softly when she could talk again.

"Sure thing, I'll bring it up for you."

Maria lay back down and Matt went to the kitchen, his excitement considerably dulled. His dad was sitting at the table scribbling on a small piece of paper.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Better than yesterday" Matt started getting the bread and vegetables ready for lunch.

"I'm going to have to leave tomorrow if I want to make it to the fair in time." Martin said after a while. "Think you and Marcus can hold down the fort while I'm gone?"

"No problem dad." Matt said, putting three plates of food on the table, "we'll be fine."

"I'll take it up for her." Martin said, talking Marias food.

Matt sat and ate quickly, when Martin returned they didn't talk.

"Do you need me for anything today?" Matt asked, Martin shook his head. "I'm going out for a while then."

Compared to other boys in town, Matt had really free days. Most businesses were family run and weren't hiring, and to be honest lots of people wouldn't hire him anyway. In the summer and fall he got work as an assistant to traveling performers or merchants and did fairly well, but at the moment he had no job. Most of the time when his dad didn't need him he wandered around, avoiding Gertrude by staying near the river and forest, but today he found a nice big tree near his house and stayed there.

He didn't go back inside until the sun started to go down. He expected to see Marcus waiting for him in the kitchen with his latest catch ready to be cooked, but he wasn't there. It was odd, Marcus wasn't usually late, but Matt supposed he'd just lost track of time. Martin was getting ready to leave early in the morning so Matt helped him, but even after they were done Marcus hadn't come back. Martin went to bed after Matt practically pushed him up the stairs, but Matt stayed up late into the night waiting for his brother.

Eventually he fell asleep at the table, hoping Marcus would be back by morning.


End file.
